duke-of-bytes wrotei have my own solar/wind powered batteries ..
i have my own well and filtration system ( filter for my house only )
my trash is either composted ( i happen to live near a garden ) or sent for recycling ( got 2 big bins and try to separate metal and paper in each )
I'm interested in reading more about this, and nuclearcat's ongoing research. Personally, I'd like to move to solar/wind power, and while I have a good idea of how things work, I'm not nearly as savvy with the intricacies, numbers, and the practical and legal sides of things. I've also heard stories that seem too good to be true. As a result, I don't feel secure in making my move just yet. I prefer basing my decisions on solid data.
We could use an environmental science/DIY/OTG subforum or something of the sort. It would be far more interesting than all the vain and petty GPU/smartphones/how-can-I-deliver-a-kouseye-from-China noise of late. Just throwing that out there.
Back to the topic though, starting with yourself is
great. Going out of denial and accepting change, educating yourself on environmental and energy issues, starting DIY projects; it’s all good.
But sooner or later, you’re going to have to accept the fact that sustainability requires everyone – not just yourself – to change. And, if you want everyone to change, then at the very least change must be feasible for everyone, and any sort of large scale change will require policies, management, incentives, subsidies, and fair laws. Normally, you would need a proper, competent government for those things to happen, and right now we’re shit out of luck, as always.
Without getting into politics, I’ll quickly say that it’s both sad and frightening how Lebanese people today are strangely selectively amnesiac to what happened in 2015, and how they returned to their daily routines as before, as if nothing ever happened, and even re-electing the same impotent, corrupt garbage who to this day continue to
treat hide a growing cancer with old bandages. I used to think that a national disaster is what it would take to bring everyone together towards a clear and common goal. Evidently, I was wrong.
Since then, I’ve spoken to a lot of people about the issue, and I think I can boil down the responses I’ve had to three categories. Note that this isn’t based on any official survey, just my personal discussions and observations.
1. The first portion don’t have energy and the environment on their list of priorities, where their daily struggle, salary, housing and retirement are what matter most. This seemed to be the biggest portion.
2. The second portion want sustainable change, but find difficulties in adoption or are sceptical that any of it would be mass adopted at all, and have probably given up.
3. The third portion want sustainable change, know how to get it, and are actually working on getting it for themselves and testing new grounds. Those are by far the minority, as you could guess.
Category 2 are basically waiting for either the government to dictate how things will be done, OR for category 3 to do something
viable so they could follow – whichever comes first. People like nuclearcat and duke-of-bytes are in 3. I’m in 2 but haven’t completely given up yet, as you have read in the first paragraph. Category 2 is the most problematic, since those who give up eventually end up in category 1 through shifting priorities.
In the unfortunate absence of a competent government, category 3 is really all you have. While they are neither responsible nor accountable for large scale change, they can still influence society, albeit at a much slower rate than official laws and enforcement. My point is that leading by example has merit so long as the example being set is viable for everyone, and the guides and procedures are shared. Here I’m talking about waste minimization, harvesting renewable energy, DIY water treatment & recycling, air filtration, building insulation treatment, accommodating electric vehicles at your home, energy consumption management, and other meaty projects. There are downsides of course, namely no help from the government, and most likely lots of unforeseen legal issues. The solution for a better government is to just vote smarter for your MPs and your municipalities.
The basics matter too, of course: using reusable bags for shopping and not asking for plastics is an excellent example that is so basic and simple that everyone can follow. Now you might ask “well if that’s the case, then why haven’t more people done the same?” and the reasons are varied:
1. Lack of initiative: The supermarkets or grocery stores aren’t offering the option to buy a reusable bag when checking out.
2. Lack of awareness: It hasn’t occurred to some people.
3. Social norms: People may have seen or heard about it, but think it’s too weird.
4. Neglect: People would rather get the free non-biodegradable plastic bags so they can use them for domestic waste storage and disposal.
With the reasons I’ve listed above, you’re looking at different mechanisms to address them:
1. Communication and negotiation: You can ask your local store’s management to consider the initiative of selling reusable bags. It’s better to do so as a group, and “sell” them the idea of an environmentally-conscious business and image. People who haven’t thought about using reusable bags will get the opportunity to consider the option once it’s presented to them.
2. Normalization: People who think it’s too weird to use a reusable bag will find it less weird and more normal when they see others opting for it.
3. Discouragement of bad practice: People who insist on using free non-biodegradable plastic bags for whatever reason must start paying for them, until the time when said bags are completely phased out. IMO, a small price for the neglect. Elsewhere, companies have adopted radical designs for their plastic bags for raising environmental concerns, as you can see below. Aggressive, but also perfectly reasonable, as it reflects the truth whether people like it or not.
In any case, if you want change, you have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is yourself. Start with the basics. Do your homework and seek all the help you need. Find workshops. Maybe even come to LebGeeks and discuss your needs. The rest will follow. Just be aware that change takes time and that you’re doing everything for the long haul, and that you have to be consistent with your principles. At least a few people will take note of your actions and projects, that I can guarantee you, and that’s all that matters.
My super short eco wishlist for the next 5-10 years:
Completely overhaul the public transportation system
• Build fixed bus stations and transportation hubs that are worth a damn. As a first step, make hubs connect at least all the coastal cities and suburbs together.
• Get rid of the old and tired fleet of public buses. Procure lightweight electric buses: easier & cheaper to maintain, zero emissions, no fuel burdens.
• Limit the number of public (عمومي) license plates issued: too many privately owned taxis, vans, and buses on the road causing way too many traffic jams & accidents with their shitty driving and chaotic stopping.
Electric transportation
• Subsidize electric charging stations as a first step.
• Government incentives for electric vehicle purchases.
• Progressively implement road tax for all internal combustion engine vehicles. Increase fuel taxes for ICE vehicles.
Waste management
• Recycling facilities.
• Recycling laws and regulations.
• Water treatment facilities.
• Composting facilities -> landfills and/or biogas generators.
• Ship excess waste and/or hazardous waste (chemicals, radioactives) to countries that want them.
Energy
• Reduce dependence on fossil fuels and dirty fuel imports.
• Government incentives for solar panels, winds, hydroelectric, and renewable energy sources in general.
• Biogas energy facilities.
Environmental protection
• Laws and regulations for land, sea, and air pollution. Most are either outdated or not enforced due to practical reasons.
• Revitalize the Lebanese Navy so it can perform its job as an enforcer of maritime law, including environmental conservation and pollution response.
And of course, education, and lots of other stuff which you have probably already thought of.
On a completely unrelated sidenote, I hate how I lose all formatting when I paste text from Word.